The worldwide epidemic in obesity has brought with it dramatic increases in the prevalence of associated diseases, including insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, the metabolic syndrome, and atherosclerosis, the rapid rise in these major public health problems underscores a growing need to understand the physiological and pathological bases of feeding and obesity, and the links between obesity and these associated morbidities. This meeting will focus on the biology of the cell type at the center of all of these diseases, the adipocyte as well as on recent advances being made in our understanding of the molecular basis of feeding and nutrient storage and on the molecular consequences of obesity in terms promoting risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Specific topics related to potential causes of obesity include: I) Central regulation of feeding and adiposity, II) Genetic defects leading to obesity, and III) Adipogenesis and adipocyte differentiation. Topics related to the consequences of obesity include: I) Adipokines and other products of adipocytes, II) Inflammation in fat and other organs and the recruitment and involvement of macrophages, III) Accumulation of lipids and adipocytes in other organs, IV) Etiology of the metabolic syndrome and association with atherosclerosis. Special attention will be given to translational insights that highlight some of the clinical implications of excess storage of adipose tissue. Some sessions will be held jointly with the "Diabetes Mellitus and the control of Cellular Energy Metabolism" meeting that will effectively complement the obesity meeting.